Pacts and Promises
by DisguisedasInnocent
Summary: They made a pact, or a promise Santana isn't sure which to call it, when they were two young girls clinging onto one another. They would always be there for one another. There have been times that they've broken it but this time Santana is sure that she won't. Post On My Way.


_Author's Note: This isn't a continuation of _Rituals for Healing _but it is in a similar vein. I've been thinking about the relationship between Quinn and Santana and thought that they were obviously close with one another and wanted to explore that aspect of their friendship. This alludes to the possibility of there being something more in the works between them, but not heavily, and it could be looked upon as friendship only. Please, read and view. Constructive Criticism is always appreciated._

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They made a pact when they were twelve. At the time, they didn't think of it as a pact, it was simply a promise, two girls standing together looking out into the future and promising to remain at one another's side. In the end, they knew it was a pact. A pact that said that they would look out for one another no matter what, help one another through anything and protect each other from the world that they knew wasn't willing to give them anything.

Santana was sixteen years old the first time that she broke the pact.

The dark haired girl couldn't bring herself to be the person that she knew her friend needed her to be, she couldn't be the one holding her hand and whispering to her that it would be all right because that would mean sacrificing her own position at the school. For an entire year, Santana hated herself. She berated herself for her actions, crying "herself to sleep every night because she had broken the one promise she had tried to keep. She hadn't protected Quinn Fabray. She hadn't stood by the blonde haired beauty's side and told her that everything would be all right, solely because she was concerned about what it might do to her own reputation.

Santana was seventeen years old the first time that she realised that Quinn wouldn't ever break the pact.

The blonde haired girl came to her, in the middle of the night, throwing small pebbles at her window until she opened it to apologise. Santana hadn't wanted to listen to her words, but she had to, because it was Quinn. She had to listen and when she listened, she understood and the guilt that rose up within her wouldn't go away. Even after she had turned her back on her best friend, the blonde haired girl still looked out for her. She still protected her.

"I know what you do with Brittany," The blonde girl whispered as she wrapped Santana up in her arms, squeezing the smaller girl gently before pulling away to press a soft kiss against her forehead. "I still love you. I'll always love you Tana. I've got your back."

Santana remembered crying until there were no more tears left to cry. Her heart broke at those words because they reinforced the thoughts that she had carried with her since the year before. The thoughts that told her that she didn't deserve to have Quinn Fabray as her friend because the hazel-eyed girl was just too good.

"I'm sorry." Santana whimpered as she buried her face in Quinn's throat. The girl breathed in the scent of the girl's soft perfume, delighting in the warming effect it had on her body. "I'm so sorry. I never meant… I didn't… I'm sorry."

Santana was eighteen years old the second time that she broke her promise. However, that time, Quinn wasn't there to tell her that it was all right.

The girl sat in a stiff hospital chair at the bedside of her best friend, watching as the girl's chest rose up and down with the help of the ventilator and listening to the sound of the heart monitor beeping steadily. Her dark eyes focused on Quinn's face, watching it for any signs of movement from the blonde haired beauty, but not even her eyes flickered underneath their lids. Santana's fingers curled around Quinn's hand, holding it as gently as she could to prevent causing the girl any unconscious pain. "I haven't always been a good friend to you Quinn," The girl began softly, brushing her lips over the back of her friend's hand. "I know you've tried to tell me before that it doesn't matter, but it does."

For a long moment, the only sounds in the room were that of the heart monitor beeping and the even pace of both girls' breathing matching one another. Then Santana began to speak again. "I want you to know that this time I'm not going to fail you. I'm going to be right here, every moment that I can be, helping you to get better. The doctors keep telling everyone that it is a miracle that you survived the accident. I keep telling them that you are Quinn Fabray and the fact that a truck smashed into your car was not going to stop you. They think I'm crazy but I know you Quinn. I know how strong you are, so I'm going to help you."

Santana kissed the back of Quinn's hand, settling back into the stiff chair, her fingers intertwined with Quinn's digits giving the unconscious girl something to hang onto. "I'll be here when you wake up." Santana whispered softly, her eyes focused on Quinn's face until her own eyelids slid closed and she surrendered herself to the world of dreams. Dreams that involved Quinn Fabray's smiling face and two young girl's dancing in the rain in the middle of a thunderstorm with only eyes for one another.


End file.
